The present-day U.S. military qualifies by any measure as highly professional, much more so than its Cold War predecessor. Yet the purpose of today’s professionals is not to preserve peace but to fight unending wars in distant places. Intoxicated by a post-Cold War belief in its own omnipotence, the United States allowed itself to be drawn into a long series of armed conflicts, almost all of them yielding unintended consequences and imposing greater than anticipated costs. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. forces have destroyed many targets and killed many people. Only rarely, however, have they succeeded in accomplishing their assigned political purposes. . . . [F]rom our present vantage point, it becomes apparent that the “Revolution of ‘89” did not initiate a new era of history. At most, the events of that year fostered various unhelpful illusions that impeded our capacity to recognize and respond to the forces of change that actually matter.

Andrew Bacevich


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

War News for Wednesday, May 01, 2013

The British MoD is reporting the deaths of three British ISAF soldiers from a roadside bombing in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, April 30th. Here's the ISAF release.


Shock Footage of Afghan Plane Crash that Killed Seven US Crew Members

Afghan forces suffer heavy casualties during opium eradication


Reported security incidents
#1: An Afghan official says insurgents used a bomb and small arms fire to kill a representative of a government peace council tasked with finding ways to begin talks with the Taliban to end the nearly 12-year-old war. Omaer Zawak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, said the attack that killed Malim Shah Wali Kahn on Wednesday also wounded the province’s deputy governor. A bodyguard also died and four others were wounded. He said insurgents first detonated a bomb next to Khan’s car and then attacked with assault rifles.

#2: Four Afghan civilians, including three children, were killed and three others wounded when an improvised bomb hit a vehicle in southern province of Uruzgan on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday. "An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) placed by Taliban struck a civilian vehicle in Shahid Asas district, Uruzgan province at about 7 p.m. local time Tuesday. As a result three children and a man were martyred and three women were wounded," the ministry said in a statement.

#3: Fighter jets on Wednesday targeted insurgent hideouts in the Orakzai tribal region, killing four militants and destroying two hideouts. The militants and their hideouts were targeted in Upper Orakzai’s Asmat Khana region with the help of jet fighters.

#4: Up to six Taliban militants have been killed and 10 others detained as Afghan army, police and the NATO- led coalition forces launched operations within the last 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said Wednesday morning. "Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the NATO-led coalition forces conducted operations in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunduz, Balkh, Zabul, Uruzgan, Logar, Ghazni and Paktika provinces over the past 24 hours. As result six armed Taliban were killed, one wounded and 10 other armed Taliban were arrested by the ANSF," the ministry said in a statement.

#5: According to local authorities in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan, at least 37 missiles were fired in Dangdam district from the Pakistani soil during the latest wave of cross-border shelling. Provincial governor Wasifullah Wasifi confirming the reports said there were no casualties as a result of the missile attacks. Local authorities in Kunar province are saying that over 100 missiles have been fired in this province during the past one month which have incurred casualties and property damages to the local residents.


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Posted by whisker at 4:24 AM

2 comments:

Dancewater said...

Today is the tenth anniversary of the Mission Accomplished speech by Bush.

I remember hearing the song "we've only just begun" going through my head.... the next line was "to kill" and here we are ....

Bush and Cheney are walking around free, and has been mainly responsible for soaking the world in innocent blood. The American people who enabled them are dumber than ever (for the most part) and don't give a shit about their own evil hearts.

May 1, 2013 at 5:37 AM
Cervantes said...

It seems the Brits who were killed were in a 12 ton APC. This is the first time the Taliban have effectively attacked one -- could be they have more sophisticated weapons.

As for the Emperor of Mesopotamia, Dancewater, I'm sure you enjoyed the spectacle of Obama praising him at the opening of his "presidential" library. And Cheney is regularly quoted as some sort of statesmanlike authority in the corporate media. They aren't just walking around free.

May 1, 2013 at 12:56 PM

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